Power transmission system



Oct. 23, 1934. H. SINCLAIR 1,978,172

POWER TRANSMISS ION SYSTEM Filed Sept. 19, 1951 4 Sheets-Sheet l Ji g 18g h 79 INVENTOR jingyid Sinclair 7 as V A'TT'TRNEYS POWER TRANSMISSIONSYSTEM Filed Sept. 19, 1931 4 Sheeis-Sheet 2 INVENTQRY Hay-aid SincZ aina 7, JMJ 'Q ATTORNi-jlf Oct. 23, 1934. H. SINCLAIR POWER TRANSMISSIONSYSTEM Filed Sept. 19, 1931 4 Sheets-Sheet INVENTOR ATTORNEYS Oct. 23,1934 H. SINCLAIR 1,978,172

POWER TRANSMISSION SYSTEM Filed Sept. 19, 1951 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTORHOIB '$ZJ incidir ATTORNEYS Manama. 193 4 ,1 I 1,973,172

- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 1,978,172 7 POWER ramsmsslon SYSTEMHarold Sinclair, Surbiton Hill, England Application September, 19, 1931,Serial No. 563,789 In Great Britain September 25, .1930

19 Claims. (01. 192-12) v The present invention relates to power trans-Fig. 6 is a sectional front elevation on thexline mission systemsembodying a hydraulic coupling 6-6 in Fig. 5. and'a sliding gear box ordog clutch or the like, Fig. 7 is a sectional front elevation o the.line and particularlywherethe hydraulic coupling is 7- inFig. 5. 1 i ofakind (such as that working with a substan- Referring to L transmissionsy tem tially constant liquid content) which does not mp is s betw en thengine 1 a d h m d completely disengage the driven shaft from the wheels2, in the order named, ah'ydraulic coupling torque of the drivingshaft.i 3 of. the Vulcan, or so-called Fottinger typelthe when such atransmission system is connected e a ype disclosedflnd Claimed nt Foli-10 to a source of power, such as an internalcomtlnger Patent 1,199,359,dated Sept. 26, 1916), a

bustion engine, which itis inconvenient to stop d u 4 secured o t t a son shaft .b inorder to engage or disengage the drive, it is tween thecouplin n gear O and adapted to customary to provide a brake or "clutchstop to be braked in a manner to be described later in arrest therotation of i the driven shaft of the connectionwith Figs. 2, 3 and 4 or5, 6, and 7, a 5 coupling, while the engine is running, thus pergear box5 which may be of any known or suitable mitting the drive to beengaged.- When, however, type, for example the sliding gear type, and. a1 the driven shaft is stopped with the engine runfree-wheel device- 6.The free-wheel device is ning, and the drive engaged, it follows thatthe preferably of the two-condition type, controlled torque load of thejaw clutch or sliding gear teeth for example from a foot pedal '7, thearrangement "20 due to the drag of thecoupling is too great being suchthat the device is normally locked,

to permit easy disengagement of these teethfor and that when the pedalis depressed the device example in order to allow another gear to beenbehaves as an ordinary free-wheel permitting n gaged. drive in onesense only, that is, from .the engine 1 Application of the clutch stopbrake under such to the road wheels; The pedal 7 which controls icircumstances will not effect any reduction in the the-iree wheel deviceis also coupled to the throts .80 torque loading on the jaw clutch orgear teeth, tle orother means for controlling the power deand this brakeis therefore of no assistance when livered by the engine 1, insuch ,amanner that, i it is desired todisengage the drive when the driven whenthe pedal is fully depressed, the engine is shaft isatrest. brought toor near its slow running condition ir- 0 An object of the presentinvention is the prorespective of the setting, of the normal powervision, in a power transmission system of the control member. i kindabove referred to, of means for facilitating Braking means for brakingthe drum 4 on the the disconnection'of thedrive, whereby the abovetransmission shaft behind the hydraulic coupling describeddifliculty isobviated. are also connected to the pedal 7. The arrange- 35 H Ajfurtherobject of the invention is the proment is such that as the pedal 7 isdepressed by vision of means for facilitating the disconnection asuitable amount the, brake is applied and if the of thefdrive, whichmeansqarev also capable of driven element of the coupling 3 is rotatingit is serving asa clutch stop-brake. f thereby brought to rest. Furtherdepression of The inventionwill be described byway of exthe pedal. 7serves to rotate the braking means 40 ample with reference to theaccompanying drawtogether with the drum 4 in a direction opposite ingsin which i to the direction of rotation of the engine 1 and Fig. 1 is adiagrammatic elevation of an 'autothe driving; element of the coupling3., for the mobile chassis provided with a transmission syspurpose ofrelieving the transmission behind; the tem in accordancewith theinvention. a brake of torsional load.

-45 2 is a sectional side elevation of an em- Referring to Figs. 2, 3and 4, the engine crank 'bodiment of. the invention asapplied to thetransshaft 8 is coupled to the primary shaft 9 .0! a mission system ofan automobile, such as that conventional type of change-speed gear box Ishownin Fig. 1, taken entire line 2--2 in Fig. 3. through a hydrauliccoupling 3 or the Vulcan 1 I Fig. 3 is'a" tionalfrontelevation on theline (or so-called Fottinger) type. The, front end of 50' 3--3' lnFig. 2Q 3 if a i l the primary shaft 9 is keyed tothe driven ele- Fig. 4 is ajsectionoia' detail'on the line 4-4 ment 10 of the hydrauliccoupling,.while the back in Fig. 3. 1: end of this shaft is formedintegral with the Fig. 5 Ba sectional plan of an alternative emdrivingconstant-mesh pinion 11 ot the gearbox 1 bodiment of theinventiomtakenzon the.llne55 18. A brake drum 4 is mounted on v shaft 9by 55 in Fig. 6. 2* means of a boss 12, being secured against rotationrelative to the shaft by a key 13 and locked in an axial direction by aninternally threaded ring 14 engaging with corresponding threads formedon the shaft 9 and retaining the boss 12, and with it the ball-race 15and the oil thrower 16, against a shoulder 17 formed on the pinion 11.Attached to the gear box 18 by studs and nuts 19 is a front cover 20integral with which is a sleeve 21 surrounding the boss 12. A boss 22 towhich is welded a plate 23 is mounted on sleeve 21 so that it is free tooscillate thereon but is prevented from moving axially by a ring 24sprung into a groove in the front end of sleeve 21. The range ofoscillation of the rocking plate 23 is limited in a clockwise direction(as viewed in Fig. 3) by a stop 25 formed on the gear box, and adaptedto abut against a shoulder 26 formed on an eyebolt 27 pivotally mountedby means of pin 28 passing through a projection 29 on the edge of therocking plate 23. The range of oscillation of the rocking plate in ananti-clockwise direction is limited by a stop 30 formed on the cover 20and adapted to abut against a projection 31=on the edge of the rockingplate 23. A helical spring 32 is compressed between the stop 25 and acollar 33 retained on the lower end of the eyebolt 27 by a nut 34, thearrangement being such that the spring tends to retain the plate 23against the stop 25 limiting its oscillation in a clockwise direction. Abridge piece 35 having backwardly bent ends 36 and 3'7, is weldedto thefront of the rocking plate 23 in such a way that the ends of a brakeband 38, lined with friction material 39, may pass freely between thebridge piece and the rocking plate. One end of the brake band 38 ispivotally mounted on a pin 40 the ends of which are fitted into holesformed in the bridge piece and rocking plate respectively. The other endof the brake band is pivotally mounted on a pin 41 carried by anactuating lever 42, one end of which is pivotally mounted on the pin 40and the other end of which is adapted to be engaged by a lever 43 formedon one end of a shaft 44 journalled in a boss 45 formed on the gear box18. A lever 46, which is keyed to the other end of the shaft 44, iscoupled in'a suitable manner to the operating pedal or othercontrollingmeans '7.

The operation of the braking device is as follows:

In the first case the arrangement may be used in place of a clutch stopsuch asis commonly provided to reduce the speed of the primary gear boxshaft 9 and parts rotating therewith, for example, during changing froma lower to a higher gear Inorder to use the device for this purpose thecontrolling means are employed to move the lever 46 in such a way thatthe end of the lever 43 is raised, thereby roc'ing the lever 42 in acounter-clockwise direction about the pin 40. This movement raises theend of the brake band 38 carried by pin 41, and thereby draws the bandinto contact with the brake drum 4 which is revolving in the directionof the arrow shown in Fig. 3. Friction between the lining 39 and thebrake drum 4 reduces the speed of the shaft 9, the brake torque reactionbeing transmitted by the lever 42, the pins 40 and 41, the rocking plate23 and bridge piece .75, and the eye bolt 27, to the fixed stop 25.

In the second case the arrangement may be used to rotate the shaft 9 andthe parts arranged for rotation positively therewith in a directionopposite to the normal direction of rotation of the engine. In order touse the device for this purpose, the brake band 38 is caused to contractin the same way as'described above. Know the control is actuated withsufficient force to overcome the load reacting against the stop 25, therocking plate 23 will be rocked about the sleeve 21 in acounter-clockwise direction until the projection 31 meets the stop 30.As the counterclockwise torque is applied to the rocking plate by aforce transmitted to the lever 42 by the lever 43 in such a way as tocause the lever 42 to contract the brake band, it is clear that, whenthe rocking plate 23 is rotated counterclockwise, the brake drum 4 willbe carried round therewith by friction between the material 39 and thedrum 4. Thus the shaft 9 will be positively rotated in a directionopposite to the direction of rotation of the engine by means of theforce applied to the operating pedal or other controlling device.

In the alternative embodiment of the present invention shown by way ofexample in Figs. 5, 6- and '7 as applied to the transmission system ofan automobile, such as that illustrated in Fig. 1, a two-shoeinternal-expanding brake is employed. The driven element 10 of thehydraulic coupling 3 is fixed by a key and taper to the front end of ashaft 50, the rear end of which is provided with internal splinesengaging with the externally-splined forward end of a gear box drivingshaft 51. A brake drum 4' is secured to the shaft 50 by a key 52 and anut 53. The brake shoes are carried, in a manner to be hereinafterdescribed, by a plate 54 welded to a hollow boss 55 carried by a splitbearing 56, 5'7, which is secured by studs 86 and nuts 8'7 to athickened part 88 of a cross member 60. A projection 58 on the plate 54normally abuts against a stop 59 formed on the cross member 60, beingheld in contact therewith by a spring 61 compressed between the stop 59and a collar 62 held by nuts 63 and 64 on a screw 65 freely fittedthrough holes drilled in the stop 59 and the projection 58. Thickeningpieces 66 and 67 are welded to the rear of the plate 54. A pin 68,fitted through a hole formed in the plate 54 and secured by a nut 69,serves as a hinge abutment for one end of the brake shoes '70 and '70.The other ends of the brake shoes are pivotally connected by links '71and '71 to opposite ends respectively of a two-armed lever '72 formedintegral with a shaft '73 journalled in a bush '74 pressed into a holeformed in the plate 54. A lever is fixed by a nut '76 on the squaredforward end of the shaft '73. A plunger '77, slidably fitted in a guide'78 welded to the front of the plate 54, is urged upward against thelever 75 by a spring '79. A pedal '7' provided with a boss 81 isjournalled on a pedal shaft 82 suitably fixed to the chassis frame.Formed integrally with the pedal '7' is a forwardly projecting lever 83into the free end of which is threaded a screw 84 locked by a nut 85,the lower end of the screw being adjacent to the upper surface of thelever '75:

This arrangement may be used in the first case for retarding or stoppingthe shaft 50 when it is rotating normally in the direction of the arrowin Fig. 6. The'pedal '7 being in its raised position, the screw 84 isadjusted so as to allow the lever 75 to rise, under the influence of thespring plunger 77, far enough to cause the brake shoes '70 and 70' to bewithdrawn out of contact with the drum 4'. tially depressed, the lever83 is caused to rock downwards so that the lower end of the screw 84engages the lever '75 and rotates it anti-clock- When the pedal '7 ispar-' wise as viewed in Fig. 6 withthe result that the bralre shoes 'llland '10 are forced outwards by the actionof the links 71 and 71 andthereby engage the drurn', The brake torque reaction is transmittedbythe projection 58 to the'stop 59, The arrangementrnay be used in thesecond case for imparting to the shaft 50 a slight r a with the drum {asdescribed above. The shaft the brake shoes are carried by the plate 54and now being at rest, furtherQ depression of the pedal 'I'f causestheend of the lever TS/to be forced further dqwnwardh Since the brakeshoes have alreadyengaged the brake drum, the shaft 73 is preventedifromrotating further .in its bush 74, with the result that the downwardmovement of the lever 83 causes the plate 54 to ,rotate anti-clockwise(Fig; 6) about the axisooif the shaft 50,,theboss 55 turning in thebearing 56, 57, and the spring 61 being compressed. Since are inengagement with the drum 4, the reverse rotationof the plate 54istransmitted to the shaft 50. When the pedal ,7 is allowed to rise, thetorque reaction, together with the spring 61 raise the fscrew d5 and theprojection 58, restoring theplate54 to its normal position, and thespring '79 raises the plunger 77 and rotates the lever, therebydisengaging the brake shoes from the brakedrum. a

The invention is not limited to the use of the kinds or brakes describedabove for imparting essential feature and separate control means, or

control means interconnected with controls other than those abovedescribed, may be'used.

a In Fig. 1 thepedal 7 is shown connected to th e throttle and alsotothe freewheel device.

, The presentinvention, so far as it involves these features and, thespeoificmechanism used in connection therewith, is disclosed more indetail and is claimed in my companion application Serial No. 563,788,filed on even date herewith.

Thepresent invention is applicable to a b varietyof differenttransmission systems, for example the systems which are described in myco-pending application above referred to.

a Althoughthe invention hasbeen described by waynof example as appliedto the transmission system of alroad vehicle, it is to be understoodthat it maybe applied in many other mechanisms for example, 'in railwaylocomotives, and rail cars, tanks, excavators, and cranes.

i I declare that what I claim is:-- s i 1, A power transmission systemcomprising a hydraulic coupling havinga driving element and a drivenelement and capable'of transmitting torque While slipping, a drivenshaft, means for disconnecting the transmission system between saiddrivenccoupling element and said driven shaft, a control'member, andmeans, which, while said disconnecting means are not disconnected,

while said driving element is rotating, and while element and saiddisconnecting means and to impart to said rotatable element a rotationin a direction opposite to its normal direction or rotation. j 2, In atransmission mechanism of the type 121- cludi'ng a hydraulic torquetransmitter having an input element and an outputelemenha change axisloi,sai'ddrum. and control means for moving said braking means into'contact with said brake drum and thereafter imparting to said supportmember and through said braking means to said drum a limited reverserotation,so asto eliminate torque loading imposed on said gearing, dueto said hydraulic coupling when said output element isstalled, a v v a3. In a transmission mechanism of the type including a hydraulic torquetransmitter having an input element and an output element, a changespeed gearing driven by said output element, a brakedrurn mounted forrotation positively with the output shaft of said torque transmitter anda brake band cooperating with said brake drum, the combination with saidbrake band, of ameniher which supports said brake band and which iscapable of rotation about the axis of said drum, and control means formoving said brake band into contact with said'brake drum and thereafterimparting to said support member and through said band to said drum 9,limited reverse rotation so as to eliminate torque loading imposed onsaid gearing due to said hydraulic transmitter when said output elementis stalled.

4. A power transmission system comprising a hydraulic, coupling having adriving member and afldriven member, a control member, means actuatedby[said control member for engaging an element connected for rotation withsaid driven member, and bringing said driven member to rest while-saiddriving member is still rotating, and means which can be energized bysaid control member aitersaid fdriven member has come to rest to impartto said first mentioned means a rotation in a direction opposite to thenormal direction of rotation of said engaged element.

5. A power transmission system comprising an output shaft, a hydraulicslippable coupling for transmitting power to said shaft and having adriven element, drive disconnecting means having a pair 0: cooperatingand disengageable toothed members drivably connected with saiddrivenelement and said output shaft respectivelyyrotatably mounted meansfor engaging apart of the system connected for rotation with said drivenelement, and a control member operable to cause said second mentionedmeans to engage said rotatable part, rotate in a reverse direction, andthus to impart a similar rotationwto said driven element,this rotationserving when the output element is stalled to eliminate torque loadingimposed on said toothed members through said hydraullc coupling. i

6. A power transmission inputshaft, an output shaft, meansiordisconmeeting the drive between said shafts, said means having twocooperating rotatable, toothed elements drivably connected to saidshafts respec tively, a control. member, and means movable about theaxisof, a part of the system connected for rotation withsaid drivenelement and associated with stops serving to limit its range of systemcomprising an movement, said means being operable by said controlmember, when said toothed elements are not rotating, but when torqueloading exists in said system, to engage said part of the system and toimpart thereby to said driving element a reverse rotation ofpredetermined small amount so as to eliminate torque loading on saidtoothed elements.

7. In combination, a hydraulic coupling having a rotatable drivingelement and a rotatable driven element and capable of transmittingtorque while permitting slip between said elements, a control member,and means capable of angular displacement about the axis of rotation ofsaid driven element and operable by said control member for engagingsaid driven element and imparting thereto a limited rotation in adirection opposite to the normal direction of rotation of said drivingelement.

8. In combination, a hydraulic power trans- ,mitter of the kinetic typehaving a rotatable ime'rating with said brakable member and capable ofangular displacement about the axis of rotation of said brakable member,and control means for moving said braking means into contact with saidbrakable member and thereafter imparting through said braking means tosaid brakable member a limited rotation in a direction opposite to thenormal direction of rotation of said impeller element.

9. In combination, a hydraulic coupling of the kinetic type having arotatable input element and a rotatable output element, a brake drummounted for rotation positively'with said output element, a brake bandcooperating with said brake drum, an anchorage for said band, which ismovable circumferentially about said drum and control means for movingsaid brake band into contact with said brake drum and thereafterimparting through said band to said drum a limited rotation in adirection opposite to the normal'direction of rotation of said inputelement.

10. In a power transmission system, a rotatable transmission element, abrakable member drivably connected to said transmission element, brakingmeans cooperating with said brakable member, a bracket for carrying saidbraking means, said bracket being so mounted as to be capable of limiteddisplacement in a plane normal to the axis of rotation of said brakablemember, a control member, and means operable by said control member formoving said braking means into contact with said brakable member andthereafter displacing said bracket so as to impart through said brakablemember to said transmission element a limited rotation.

11. In a power transmission system a brake drum positively connected toa rotatable element of said system, a braking element cooperating withsaid brake drum, a member for carrying said braking element and having alimited range of rocking about the axis of said drum, means mounted onsaid carrying member for moving said braking element into contact withsaid drum, anda control member for engaging and.

actuating said means for moving said braking element, motion of theengaging portion of said control member to engage the brake taking placein a direction which is substantially tangential toa circle concentricwith, and contained in a plane perpendicular to, the axis of said drum,

and which is contrary to the normal direction of motion of the adjacentpart of said drum.

12. A power transmission system comprising an input shaft, an outputshaft, means for disengaging the drive between said shafts, a frictionbrake having a brakable element connected for rotation with said inputshaft and a braking element capable of being moved about the axis ofrotation of said brakable element, means for engaging said brakingelement with said brakable element, and a control member connected withsaid engaging means and operable firstly to apply said brake andthereafter to impart to said input shaft through said brake elements arotation in a direction opposite to its normal direction of rotation.

13. A power transmission system comprising an input shaft, an outputshaft, means for disengaging the drive between said shafts, anengageable element connected for rotation with one of said shafts, andan engaging element capable of angular displacement about the axis ofretation of said engageable element, means operable for bringing thesaid two elements into engagement, a control member connected with saidengaging means and operable to firstly engage the said two elementstogether and thereafter to impart angular displacement to said engagingelement and through said engageable element to the shaft connectedtherewith, and means which, when the said two elements are disengaged,automatically return said engaging element to its initial position.

14. A power transmission system comprising a driving shaft, a drivenshaft, means for disconnecting the drive between said shafts and whichare of the kind that resist disengagement when under torque load, acontrol member, a brakable element connected for rotation with saiddriving shaft, a braking element capable of being rotated about the axisof rotation of said brakable element, and an operative connectionbetween saidv control member and said braking element which serves, onoperation of said control member, to engage said braking element withsaid brakable element and to impart to both of said elements and to saiddriving shaft a rotating serving, when the system is stalled undertorque load, to eliminate torque load from said disconnecting means.

15. A power transmission system comprising an input shaft, an outputshaft, means for disconnecting the drive between said shafts, said meanshaving cooperating toothed members slidable relatively to each other andconnected to said shafts respectively, a friction brake having abrakable element connected for rotation with said driving toothedmember, a brakingelement, and a support for said braking element, saidsupport being capable of rotation about the axis of said brakableelement, means for engaging said brake, a control member, and anoperative connection between said control member, said engaging means,and said support, which serves, on operation of said control member, toengage said brake and thereafter to impart to said support a rotation ina direction opposite to the normal direction of rotation of saidbrakable element.

16. A power transmission system comprising a hydraulic slippablecoupling having a driven element, a driven shaft, drive-disconnectingmeans which serve to couple said driven element to said driven shaft, atransmission element connected for rotation with said driven couplingelement, a control member, an abutment, and, associated ,to eliminatefromsaid drive-disconnecting means the torque transmitted by saidhydraulic coupling and to transfer this torque to said abutment.

17. In a transmission mechanism of the type including a prime mover, achange-speed gearing and a hydraulic coupling capable of slipping whiletransmitting torque and having a driving element connected to said primemover and a driven element connected to the input shaft of saidchangespeed gearing, the combination with said driven element and saidinput shaft of a. control member and means capable of rotation about theaxis of a. transmission element between said driven element and saidgearing and operable by said control member to engage said transmissionelement and to impart a reverse rotation thereto, which rotation servesto eliminate torque loading imposedon said gearing by said hydrauliccoupling when the transmission is stalled.

18. A power transmission system comprising a driving element arranged torotate normally in only one direction, a rotatable driven element,drivably connecting said elements, a clutch device which resistsdisengagement when transmitting torque, a rotatably mounted support,means carried by said support and capable of being moved relativelythereto so as to engage a part or the transmission system rotatable withsaid drivmg element, and a control member, which, when said system isunder torque load and said driven element is stalled, can be operated tomove said engaging means into contact with said transmission part andthereafter to rotate said engaging means together with said support andsaid' transmission part in a reverse direction for the purpose ofremoving torque loading from said clutch device.

19. A power transmission system comprising a driving element arranged torotate normally in only one direction, a rotatable driven element,means-for disconnecting the drive between said elements and which resistdisengagement-when under torque load, a brake for preventing therotation of said driving element and having a braking element capable ofangular displacement about the axis of the brakable element thereof, astop for limiting the rotation of said braking element in the normaldirection of rotation of said brakable element, means which tend tomaintain said braking element engaged with said stop, and a controlmember which is operatively connected with said braking element andwhich on initial operation engages said braking element with saidbrakable element and on further operation imparts to said brakingelement and thence to said driving element a reverse rotation whichserves to eliminate torque loading on said disconnecting means when saiddriven element is stalled.

HAROLD SINCLAIR.

